Allotments 4 All

My rhubarb (a large plant of uncertain age and ancestry) is producing a great many flower heads this year, and is looking a bit spindly on the stem front. It didn't get a winter mulch the last couple of years as the floods beat me to it - is it needing a bit of feed, or is it getting senile?

Thanks,

Adrian

I mulched mine up all summer and this seems to please them.   

We had a similar problem in 2013, when almost every rhubarb plant in the bed seemed to bolt, but a good manuring at the end of the year has put them right, and they're good this year.  May be just coincidence, of course ...

Mine are not short of 'snap'...they get tons of it. But this year they do seem to have loads of flower buds coming up.
Could be weather thing...
I just pull the flower stalks off ...and carry on harvesting rest for pot. The rate my plants are putting growth on...there is no chance of us EVER able to eat through it all...

Loads of flowers forming on ours too so I assume it's a function of not really having a winter.   I shall just keep cutting them off and then give all the plants a good mulch in the autumn.

Yes one of my crowns has been throwing flowers like mad.  Only planted a year and a half ago.  The others, planted two years ago are fine. So no idea what to do except manure and keep an eye on it.

Bill.

Hmm, similar problem with my Rhubarb. Mine was on the plot when I got it, but I transplanted it in Novemeber last year. I gave it plenty of manure, but it's bolting like billyo at the moment. I just keep breaking them off. I thought it was just me as others on the site have magnificent specimens, but I've since found a couple of others with spindly thin looking plants and bolting away.

Nige

Feed it and keep breaking the flowers off.

Rhubarb doesn't 'bolt' as such (bolting=premature flowering). Being perennial plant, it will flower most years during its life and that is totally normal. Those flower stems don't do any harm and can be left to flower...though you risk having self seeded 'babies' popping up. Taking the flower stems off will save the plants energy to grow more leaves and the talks being better quality too.
Some years you do see more flowers than others...perhaps it is weather..perhaps it is sign of successful feeding previous year, plant feeling that it has more 'energy' to do so...or perhaps it is sign of 'stress'.... Who knows...
Mine must be feeling cocky and wanting to show off its 'feathers'...plants are looking truly good this year so maybe I just let it flower for a while and allow it to show for the world its glory...

I used to worry about the rhubarb on my allotment as it started to flower in April, died down, then regrew in September and died back in November. Now I am just grateful for two good crops of rhubarb at different times of the year!!

Quote from: goodlife on April 17, 2014, 09:48:31
flower stems don't do any harm and can be left to flower...

I was pleased to find interesting discussions like this here, so I just registered.

I agree with you that the flowers / seed heads don't do any harm so, last year, I decided to let them develop naturally, to collect the seed. As a result, I now have some small new rhubarb plants developing at home, potentially to replace some of the weaker specimens on my allotment.

But the allotment manager told me off, saying it looked untidy. Is that fair? I agree it wouldn't be what you expect for entering a competition or the Chelsea Flower Show but should all allotments be polished up to that kind of standard?

Quote from: uncle on April 20, 2014, 22:55:45

Quote from: goodlife on April 17, 2014, 09:48:31
flower stems don't do any harm and can be left to flower...

I was pleased to find interesting discussions like this here, so I just registered.

I agree with you that the flowers / seed heads don't do any harm so, last year, I decided to let them develop naturally, to collect the seed. As a result, I now have some small new rhubarb plants developing at home, potentially to replace some of the weaker specimens on my allotment.

But the allotment manager told me off, saying it looked untidy. Is that fair? I agree it wouldn't be what you expect for entering a competition or the Chelsea Flower Show but should all allotments be polished up to that kind of standard?

Welcome !

I can't say if it is fair or not ....depends of so many other factors too. But it sounds like the manager is tad too eager to keep his 'flock' under order....after all you were growing some edibles and who says that veg plants have to be grown in regimental straight lines and equal distances from each other. I certainly don't... But then again, we are quite 'liberal' with our 'standards'  on our site, is more of "as long as the land is used" attitude rather than achieving 'the looks'.

Hello Uncle, Welcome to Allotments4All 
I'm thinking that if you have the space, time and inclination saving seed from your own grown plants and crops is the responsible and forward looking view. How else would we have all these marvellous vegetable and fruit crops if it weren't for those early seed savers and experimenters!

It's unfair.  I give my rhubarb flower stems to a pair of local designer florists who are friends.  They love them and use them in their bouquets and more esoteric arrangements so I don't see how letting yours flower can be classed as untidy.   It's a natural process and all part of propagation and renewal of crops.

Thank you for your kind welcome messages and understanding of what I was trying to achieve. I must see if I have a photo from last year, before I was forced to cut most of the flowers / seed heads off. I understand that several members here are in positions of influence over what happens on their allotments. Is there anyone who might see things from our manager's point of view - i.e. that rhubarb going to seed is somehow unsightly and unacceptable?

Anyway, I'm grateful for the advice on this thread that feeding the rhubarb might prevent excessive flowering. I read elsewhere that rhubarb grown from seed, rather than plant division, is more inclined to produce seed heads, but is that true?

As regards "tidy" allotments I can't see that having a lot of rhubarb plants is untidy?
It does rather depend on the allotment secretary and the committee. Some are very "organised" people who cannot understand why other plots are not regimented like theirs (just look at their plots!) Others are much more flexible. The boundary between untidy and freestyle is vague and a matter of opinion. The secretary has to obey the rules laid down by the council but they can often be "open to interpretation".
Just ask for the secretary for the specific council rule that forbids what you want to do! If it's vague challenge it.

Quote from: George the Pigman on April 21, 2014, 21:42:19
As regards "tidy" allotments I can't see that having a lot of rhubarb plants is untidy?
It does rather depend on the allotment secretary and the committee. Some are very "organised" people who cannot understand why other plots are not regimented like theirs (just look at their plots!) Others are much more flexible. The boundary between untidy and freestyle is vague and a matter of opinion. The secretary has to obey the rules laid down by the council but they can often be "open to interpretation".
Just ask for the secretary for the specific council rule that forbids what you want to do! If it's vague challenge it.

You make some very good points. I'll reply in another thread under allotment movement, if I may, rather than risk taking this rhubarb thread too far off track.